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(No Model.)

; P. W. MIX.

KEEPER PLATE FOR LOOKS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1884.

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. FRANK W. MIX, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CORBIN CABINET LOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

KEEPER-PLATE FOR LOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,238, dated December 16, 1884.

Application filed July 2, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WV. MIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at New .Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Keeper-Plate for Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in keeper-plates for looks, and is specially de signed to be used in connection with desklocks of the class patented to me March 18, 1884., No. 295,270, but may be used with other locks; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple device for automatically closing the mortise in the keeper-plate when the lock-bolt is removed therefrom. I accomplish this object by the simple construction illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved keeper-plate. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same on line :10 0c of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a side elevation of a modification of my improved keeperplate. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of my improved keeper-plate, in connection with a drawerlo'ck in side elevation; and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of my improved keeper'plate in combination with a drawer-lock.

My improved keeper-plate is designed to be used with desk-locks of the class hereinbelore mentioned, and is especially desirable when such locks are secured in the cover of the desk and the keeper-plate is placed on the table of the desk.

In the drawings, A designates an ordinary keeper-plate, having a mortise; B, a closing lid or cover securely hinged thereto by means of lugs b b and the pintle c, as shown in Fig. 2. C is a torsional spring surrounding the pintle 0, one end of which rests upon the keeperplate and the other upon the lid or cover B,

giving the spring a constant tendency to close the cover, as in ordinary spring-hinges.

Instead of hinging the lid or cover B to the keeper-plate, the mortise may be opened and closed by a sliding movement of the cover or .1id-as, for instance, by means of posts or pins d d, securely fastened to the under side of the 0 keeperplate, upon which the cover B slides, and around which springs e e are placed for holding the cover or lid in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

Other means for hingin g or sliding the cover 5 5 can be readily devised by ordinary mechanics. Whenever the lock-bolt D and the keeperplate A are brought into engagement, (whether the spring-pressed cover or lid is made to slide or swing,) the end of the lock-bolt strikes the upper surface of the lid or cover and forces the lid away from the mortise, so as to open it, and the bolt passes into its place within the mortise of the keeper, as shown in Figs.

5 and 6. Whenever the bolt is withdrawn from the keeper, the spring or springs act upon the lid to automatically close the mortise, as shown in the other figures of the drawings. By either construction I provide a cover for automatically closing the mortise in the keep er-plate, whereby said plate is specially adapted to be secured upon the table portion of a desk or other article, as it presents a neat and finished appearance when the lock-bolt is withdrawn therefrom, and all danger of losing small articles through the mortise, or of 010g ging the mortise with foreign substances, is avoided.

I claim as my invention- A keeper-plate for looks, having a mortise, 

